Catherine of Aragon: A woman born to rule
In this six-part series exclusively available to HistoryExtra subscribers, leading Tudor historians delve into the fascinating lives of each of Henry VIII’s iconic queens. In this episode, Dr Nicola Clark discusses Catherine of Aragon...
Over the course of Catherine’s 23-year marriage to Henry VIII, she acted as regent for the country, saw off a Scottish army and bore a future monarch of England, before Henry’s desire to remarry Anne Boleyn imploded their union. Rhiannon Davies speaks to Dr Nicola Clark about Catherine’s impressive reign – and her desperate attempts to hold on to her marriage at whatever cost.
Related content
- Profile | Your guide to Catherine of Aragon: Henry VIII’s first wife and mother of Mary I
- Explainer | Henry VIII’s six wives: your guide to the Tudor king's queen consorts
- Quiz | Henry VIII’s wives: how well do you know the six women he married?
Dr Nicola Clark is a senior lecturer in early modern history at the University of Chichester whose books include Gender, Family and Politics (Oxford University Press, 2018)
Explore the full video series
In our accompanying six-part video series, leading Tudor historians delve into the fascinating lives of each of Henry VIII’s iconic queens. Could Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard have avoided the executioner’s block? Why can Anne of Cleves be seen as the true survivor? And who was the queen whom Henry loved most?
Find out in this video series exclusively available to HistoryExtra subscribers. All episodes are available to watch now:
- Episode 2 | Anne Boleyn: From trailblazer to traitor
- Episode 3 | Jane Seymour: The queen Henry loved most?
- Episode 4 | Anne of Cleves: The ultimate survivor
- Episode 5 | Catherine Howard: Victim of the patriarchy
- Episode 6 | Katherine Parr: Political powerhouse
On the podcast | Explore the full Six Wives audio series
The story of King Henry VIII’s six wives is a tale of political crisis and personal tragedy, sacrifice and survival, sex and death, scandal, love and betrayal. But, after centuries of myth have built up around this story, has it clouded our view of the real women involved? In our accompanying six-part podcast series, we’ll be peeling back the layers of mythmaking to take another look at these fascinating women, who shaped the course of Henry’s reign – and the history of England.
- Episode 1 | Catherine of Aragon
- Episode 2 | Anne Boleyn
- Episode 3 | Jane Seymour
- Episode 4 | Anne of Cleves
- Episode 5 | Catherine Howard
- Episode 6 | Katherine Parr
Want to learn more about the queens?
- Explore the full podcast and video series plus a range of companion content from across HistoryExtra on our Six Wives hub
Authors
A former BBC History Magazine section editor, Rhiannon has long been fascinated by history and continues to write for HistoryExtra.com. She has appeared on the award-winning HistoryExtra podcast, interviewing experts on a variety of subjects, from Lucy Worsley discussing Agatha Christie to Sir Ranulph Fiennes on the perils of polar exploration
Get exclusive access to Ruth Goodman’s six-week Academy course on Victorian Life, featuring two live Q&As + a book of your choice when you subscribe to BBC History Magazine
